A Study On The Impact Of Extracurricular Activity Time Allocation On Academic Performance Of Junior High School Student

Time is an important input factor in the educational production process and an intangible asset that is highly valuable and significant to every individual.The junior high school stage is a crucial period for the growth and development of adolescents,where their values and outlook on life gradually form and accumulate capital.The proper allocation of extracurricular activity time can make or break a person.In order to allow teenagers to allocate and utilize extracurricular activity time more reasonably,reduce their unreasonable academic burden,cultivate healthy study habits,and enable extracurricular activities to truly play a role in regulating study pressure and relaxing the mind and body,it is essential to ensure the healthy growth and all-round development of teenagers.This study focuses on the current situation and influencing factors of the allocation of extracurricular activity time for teenagers and explores the linear and nonlinear effects of such allocation on academic performance.The study aims to determine the best combination of time allocation for the optimal growth and development of teenagers and provide empirical support for related national policies.Based on the baseline data from the Chinese Education Tracking Survey for the 2013-2014 academic year,this study employs multiple linear regression analysis to explore the linear and nonlinear effects of junior high school students’ allocation of extracurricular activity time on academic performance,while controlling for individual,family,and school characteristics.The main research conclusions are as follows:(1)The allocation of extracurricular activity time for junior high school students is severely imbalanced,with excessively long homework time and inadequate physical exercise and sleep.The average daily homework time is 2.62 hours,sleep time is 7.9 hours,and physical exercise time is 50 minutes,far from meeting the requirements of the Ministry of Education that "the average daily homework time for junior high school students should not exceed 90 minutes,and they should have 9 hours of sleep and exercise for more than 1 hour every day." Only2.8% of junior high school students can allocate their extracurricular activity time reasonably,while 95.3% of them suffer from insufficient sleep and lack of physical exercise.Family factors have a greater impact on students’ extracurricular life,and parent-child relationships,parental companionship,and guidance play an important role in the reasonable allocation of children’s extracurricular life.(2)Time does not act alone,and this study explores the academic output brought about by junior high school students’ time investment based on Austin’s student investment theory.Through K-mean clustering,students are divided into four categories: "sleep type," "learning type," "game type," and "sports type," which are internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous.Creating virtual variables and combining them with regression analysis,it is found that the other three types,compared with the "game type," can significantly improve academic performance.(3)Based on Skinner’s reinforcement theory and Ebbinghaus’ theory of over-learning,a multiple regression analysis was conducted on the education function model to explore the non-linear relationship between extracurricular activity time and academic performance,known as the dosage effect.The results show that homework time,physical exercise time,and sleep duration have an inverted U-shaped relationship with academic achievement,where an increase in sleep duration can significantly improve academic performance.Extending homework time has a crowding-out effect on sleep time and can significantly increase negative psychological mood.Linear regression suggests that the positive effects of homework time and physical exercise time on academic performance are greatest at 1 hour and 1.45 hours,respectively,and it is recommended that middle school students exercise for at least 7 hours per week,consistent with the national regulations of no more than 90 minutes of homework time for middle school students,ensuring at least 9 hours of sleep and at least 1hour of physical exercise.Therefore,this study suggests that home-school-community collaboration is necessary,with each party fulfilling its responsibilities and coordinating with one another to ensure the well-being and holistic development of adolescents.Together,we can cultivate socialist successors who are responsible and capable with sound personalities.